Despite the fact that the January transfer window is still more than three long months away, we are still getting bombarded with wild rumors of this or that player being on the verge of completing a move as soon as it reopens. The vast majority can be excluded as nothing more than agents generating interest in their players, which is why we tend to completely ignore them. There is one story however which has appeared more consistently than most, raising the possibility that there may be some substance to it.  Sport.co.uk has carried a report this week that Manchester United are again being linked with Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour.

Read the full story

In a week when Manchester United begins another Champions League campaign, we should remember one of the most blinkered decisions ever taken in the history of English football. When Chelsea won their first ever League title in 1955 they were forced to withdraw from the inaugural European Cup competition by the then Football League secretary Alan Hardaker who feared that the new competition would create too much fixture congestion. That shameful decision was not surprising because the British had a history of being suspicious of international football as shown by the fact that none of the home teams entered the World Cup until 20 years after its inception.

Read the full story

Watching former Manchester United starlets Jonathan Greening and Erik Nevland bravely battling away for Fulham in a vain attempt to try and salvage something for their club last weekend one could not help but wonder how often they must have thought of what might have been when looking back on their careers.

The 31 year old Greening made 14 senior appearances in midfield during his 3 years at Old Trafford between 1998 and 2001 before going on to build a decent career for himself at Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion then settling at Fulham last year. Read the full story

Reports in Belgium have confirmed that Manchester United have signed Marnick Vermijl from Standard Liege on a three year contract for a compensation fee of  €300,000.The 18-year-old is a versatile defender who can play all across the backline but is predominantly a right full back.

He is expected to team up with United in time for the start of the 2010-11 season and will go into Sir Alex Ferguson’s senior squad. Despite the fact that he has never played a first team game for the Belgian side, he impressed both Sir Alex Ferguson and reserve team boss Ole Gunner Solskjaer whilst on trial at Old Trafford.

Read the full story